If the Cowboys are interested in wide receiver in NFL Draft Round 1, these are the candidates

About two weeks before this year’s NFL Draft, wide receiver has become a popular Cowboys topic of discussion as the names of the team’s official 30 visitors continue to surface.

At least five of Dallas’ roughly 25 visits have been used on wide receivers. Three of them are among the top five listed in Dane Brugler’s “The Beast,” which published Monday. Those three are Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, Boston College’s Zay Flowers and TCU’s Quentin Johnston.

Brugler ranks his top five at the position as No. 1 Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, No. 2 USC’s Jordan Addison, No. 3 Hyatt, No. 4 Flowers and No. 5 Johnston.

Smith-Njigba is a local prospect from Rockwall, Texas, who the NFL Network reported Monday has an upcoming visit scheduled with the Cowboys. Addison could as well in the future but he did meet with the Cowboys at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Dallas has also had 30 visits with North Carolina’s Josh Downs and Mississippi’s Jonathan Mingo. Brugler has Downs ranked as the sixth-best wide receiver in this class. He has Mingo at No. 12.

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy posted an interesting wide receiver related draft tweet Monday, noting that while he sees four or five wide receivers often going in the first round of mock drafts, “numerous teams” have only one first-round grade at the position, adding that it’s Smith-Njigba.

One thing has become clear on calls around league past couple weeks: NFL isn’t nearly as high on this year’s WR class as media.

Frequently seeing 4-5 wideouts in mocks. Have spoken to numerous teams that have only one first round grade at the position. That guy is JSN.

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) April 10, 2023

The Cowboys could be one of those teams. However, that doesn’t rule them out from taking one of those wide receivers with their first-round pick at No. 26. The reason being that the Cowboys are unlikely to have 26 first-round grades. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said at the combine that they usually have 18 to 20 first-round grades. The draft board sheet Cowboys owner Jerry Jones held in front of reporters after the first round last year only had 14 players with a first-round grade.

The Cowboys drafted offensive lineman Tyler Smith at Pick 24 last year. He was the 16th player on their board, so top of the second round.

“It’s emptied out pretty good,” Stephen Jones said of the second-rounders remaining on their board last year after the first round ended. “When you only have 14 first-round grades, there’s communication around the league. I think that was pretty much down the middle, in terms of what other teams felt like they had in the first round. When that’s what you have, what’s coming next is the top of the second-rounders. They picked through us pretty good there. It was getting tight there at the end in terms of who was going to be available to us and who we picked 24th.”

Dallas upgraded at wide receiver last month, trading a fifth-round pick this year and a sixth-round pick next year to the Houston Texans for veteran Brandin Cooks. The Cowboys, who were too thin at the position last season after trading away Amari Cooper, now have a starting trio of CeeDee Lamb, Cooks and Michael Gallup, all three capable of putting up a 1,000-yard season. But they could use more help if the right player is available and the value makes sense. Jalen Tolbert, a third-round pick last year, contributed very little during his rookie season. Is he ready for a larger role? Can kick returner/punt returner KaVontae Turpin be a bigger part of the offense in his second season? Dallas needs at least four wide receivers consistently contributing.

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The Cowboys have bigger positions of need, like left guard and defensive tackle, but depending on how they have these wide receivers ranked on their board, the best value at Pick 26 could be at that position.

Let’s take a look at the top five and include what Brugler had to say about each in “The Beast.”

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 6-0, 196 pounds, 4.52 in the 40

Stats: A hamstring injury caused him to miss most of the 2022 season. In 2021, he totaled 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games.

Brugler: “Smith-Njigba isn’t an elite size/speed athlete and won’t be an ideal fit for every role, but he is a crafty route runner with smooth short-area quickness and tracking talent to be a sure-handed target. He projects as an early NFL starter who is at his best in the slot.”

His fit in Dallas: He plays a similar role as Lamb, but this seems like an easy pick pick if he fell to 26. The Cowboys would have to be thrilled to get his talent on the field and figure out the best way to utilize him and Lamb together.

Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba said he had a good meeting with the Dallas Cowboys

(Video: @Schrock_And_Awe) pic.twitter.com/ZuXzCseIEl

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 3, 2023

2. Jordan Addison, 5-11, 173 pounds, 4.49 in the 40

Stats: Had 59 receptions for 875 yards and eight touchdowns last year for USC. Had a monster season the year before at Pittsburgh with 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Brugler: “Addison’s lack of ideal size and play strength are legitimate concerns, but he is a loose athlete with crafty routes and vertical speed to work all three levels. Projecting best in the slot, he has NFL starting talent from day one.”

His fit in Dallas: Somewhat similar to Smith-Njigba, his best position is in the slot. But if Mike McCarthy and the scouting department feel comfortable about Addison’s ability to add some weight and line up on the outside as well, he could be a possibility at 26. Brugler has him ranked as the 25th-best prospect in the entire draft class.

3. Jalin Hyatt, 6-0, 176 pounds, 4.40 in the 40

Stats: He had a breakout season last year with career highs in catches (67), receiving yards (1,267) and touchdowns (15).

Brugler: “Hyatt isn’t a well-rounded receiver and won’t become one overnight, but he is exceptional in two key areas (easy speed and confident ball skills), and his potential for an explosive play at any moment changes the way defenses prepare. In the right role, he can be a productive home-run hitter for an NFL offense.”

His fit in Dallas: He’s a big-play threat, which is exactly what the Cowboys’ offense needs. The addition of Cooks certainly helps in that area, but Hyatt’s speed would be welcomed on the perimeter, potentially turning some short throws into huge plays.

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4. Zay Flowers, 5-9, 182 pounds, 4.42 in the 40

Stats: Had his best year last season as a senior with 78 catches for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Brugler: “Flowers is undersized and doesn’t have an ideal skill set for outside work, but he is a savvy and sudden competitor with the play speed and route pacing to create space. He projects as an early NFL starter who is at his best in the slot.”

His fit in Dallas: This was a somewhat surprising 30 visitor for the Cowboys because many believe he is a first-round type talent, but Dallas hasn’t shown much first-round interest in shorter wide receivers. Although he played outside in college, he seems like more of a slot in the NFL. It would be interesting if the Cowboys decided to go in this direction with Pick 26, likely meaning more outside work for Lamb.

5. Quentin Johnston, 6-3, 208 pounds, 4.51 in the 40

Stats: Had his best season last year with 60 catches for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns.

Brugler: “Johnston requires polish with his route-running and ball-finishing skills, but he offers legitimate big-play potential with his size-speed athleticism and catch radius. He has NFL-starting traits with upside as he continues to develop.”

His fit in Dallas: His size certainly fits with what McCarthy won a Super Bowl with in Green Bay. That season, the Packers’ top four wide receivers (Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson) were all 6-foot and above and all around 200 pounds or more. If the Cowboys believe Johnston has the hands to be a consistent playmaker, he’d fit on the outside in any offense.

Additional Reading

(Top photo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)